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  1. #1

    Default Can a Convicted Felon Become a Teacher

    My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: Arkansas

    Hi all,

    When I was 18, I was charged with two counts of statutory rape which were dealt down to two counts of Aggravated assault. These were accompanied by a Five Year Suspended Sentence and a small fine. I'm 22 now, with my suspended sentence almost up. I want to go back to college to get a degree in Education (I want to teach college students or high school students Japanese).

    If I get my record expunged, can I become a teacher in AR?

    Special notes - My plea bargain paper had the following written on it before it was filed; "We have no problem with expungement after the suspended sentence has been fulfilled". This was hand written by the prosecutor as demanded by my lawyer. Even though my two felonies are violent, they have on record that they wouldn't mind expunging them. I've never even been pulled over. I was lied to when I was 17 by a girl. A birthday passes and she gets mad. BAM. Felony.

    So, what do you guys think? Teaching has always been my dream...

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Default Re: As a Convicted Felon, Can I Become a Teacher

    So when you were 17 you had sex with a girl who lied to you about something. Then one of you had a birthday, she got mad about something, and you were suddenly (seemingly inexplicably) charged with/convicted of/confessed to two counts of committing physical violence.

    This chain of events doesn't quite add up. What are we missing here?

  3. #3
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    Default Re: As a Convicted Felon, Can I Become a Teacher

    Speak to whomever licenses teachers in your state.

    Your story, incidentally, needs some work. Given that Arkansas has a "Romeo and Juliet" law, I have to ask - exactly how old was the girl at the time?

  4. #4
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    Default Re: As a Convicted Felon, Can I Become a Teacher

    Also, I don't see the connection between stat rape and violence - stat rape is consensual, so violence isn't usually required to complete the deed. And how does one plead down from stat rape to assault? Isn't assault worse? Or at least on the same level?

    Story sure does need some work!

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Default Re: As a Convicted Felon, Can I Become a Teacher

    Statutory rape is ***NOT*** consensual. The whole point is the law presumes that the victim isn't old enough to give informed consent. Frankly, I doubt highly that any school district will take you in ANY capacity with a history of sex offenses. As pointed out you need to check whether your record is an outright bar to certification and then have a frank discussion with places that might hire you as to whether you'd pass their background check. I can tell you that these days schools even background check volunteers.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: As a Convicted Felon, Can I Become a Teacher

    Right, exactly.

    OP needs to understand that expungement does not equate to "nobody can ever see it on a background check".

  7. #7
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    Default Re: As a Convicted Felon, Can I Become a Teacher

    Quote Quoting flyingron
    View Post
    Statutory rape is ***NOT*** consensual.
    All I meant by "consensual" is that it doesn't involve physical violence (or threat of same), or at least physical force, for the perpetrator to get what he/she wants. For example, if a 20-year-old male sweet-talks a 16-year-old girl into willingly having sex with him, it's statutory rape. However, if that same male physically overpowers that same female and physically forces her to have sex with him, even though she as made it clear she doesn't want to, that's rape.

    That's all I meant.

    Meanwhile, I note that very shortly after my first response, the OP changed his original age from 17 to 18 in his first (and so far only) post. Then he disappeared. I find this interesting...

    - - - Updated - - -

    Correction (edit is not working for me right now):

    Meanwhile, I note that very shortly after my first response (during which the OP was still viewing this thread)...

  8. #8

    Default Re: As a Convicted Felon, Can I Become a Teacher

    Alright guys, time to clear things up.

    I was 17 when the "act" was committed.

    I was 18 when charged and convicted.

    I did fail to mention that this girl lied about being 15 (she was 13 at the time). She broke up with me during our relationship. When I began dating again, she got jealous and told the police I FORCIBLY raped her. So, the charges BEGAN as rape. The second charge came when she got her friend to claim the same thing. I'm not trying to plead innocence. It's all done and over with. I just want to plan my future around this "handicap".

    Anyway, I lawyered up. The charges were never officially lowered to Statutory Rape, but that's what actually happened. My lawyers were able to get a deal so that my 2 counts of Rape became 2 counts of Aggravated Assault.

    So, it was my mistake for putting Statutory Rape originally. It was always forcible on record. Also, I never said that "Expungement" means "Invisible to everyone". Government facilities can look into it all they want: Military; Department of Health; Department of Education; so on. I just want to know if my only sin on my record won't hold me back from my dreams or if I should kill myself now (just joking).

    It adds up. I don't know why you guys are so suspicious of me. By the way, I didn't disappear. I just got off work. Posted this thread on my lunch break.

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    Massachusetts
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    Default Re: As a Convicted Felon, Can I Become a Teacher

    Took me ten seconds on google to find this.

    https://static.ark.org/eeuploads/pul...tInfoSheet.pdf

  10. #10

    Default Re: As a Convicted Felon, Can I Become a Teacher

    Thanks for the link! But I've already seen it before. I'm not lazy - I did my googling.

    I only asked the interwebs my question because of the note on my record about "No problem with expungement". Despite having two violent Class D felonies on my record, the prosecution wrote and recorded that they do not have a problem with expunging my record once my suspended sentence is over. My attorney and her team even agreed that it would be no problem and that this was a special case.

    Believe me, I was extremely skeptical (and still am!).

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